The Aroya of Aroya Cruises has left the Arabian Gulf, transited the Strait of Hormuz and set course for Jeddah, where the ship will resume operations with a short season in the Red Sea before repositioning itself in the Mediterranean.
The departure marks the last of six cruise ships to leave the Arabian Gulf following the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, ending a prolonged period during which the vessels remained docked in regional ports due to disruptions in maritime traffic.
After crossing the strait, the Aroya is now sailing towards the Saudi Red Sea coast, where it will operate a series of round-trip cruises from Jeddah starting in mid-May. This program will serve as a bridging season, connecting the affected winter deployment in the Gulf with planned summer operations in Europe.
The Red Sea program will begin with a series of short itineraries, including three, four, and five-night cruises, departing on:
- May 14, 2026
- May 17, 2026
- May 21, 2026
- May 24, 2026
All will be round trips from Jeddah.
Subsequently, on May 29, 2026, the ship will undertake an eight-night repositioning voyage from Jeddah to Istanbul, marking the start of its Mediterranean season.
Starting in early June, Aroya will operate a series of weekly seven-night round-trip cruises from Istanbul, with weekly departures throughout the summer.
The program will run until September and will conclude with an eight-night repositioning voyage that will return the ship from Istanbul to Jeddah on September 12, 2026.
This deployment represents a return to scheduled operations after disruptions that prevented several cruise ships from leaving the Gulf since the end of February.
Unlike other operators that opted to reroute their ships around Africa, Aroya is expected to use the Suez Canal for its deployment, in line with its original positioning in the region for the winter season. This shorter route allows for a faster return to service and makes it easier to maintain its schedule in both the Red Sea and the Mediterranean.
With the Aroya now en route, cruise operations in the Arabian Gulf have practically concluded for this season, as shipping companies focus their operations on summer deployments in Europe and nearby regions.
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